Nonviolent Protest In The Civil Rights Movement

Peaceful resistance to laws and legislation is an essential component of a free society. There are no alternatives to protesting unjust institutions more humane than a peaceful, nonviolent opposition which accepts the consequences of its actions. The concept of peaceful opposition isn’t a specifically American concept, but can be traced throughout our expansive history. Our country began with the rejection of the Intolerable Acts through nonviolent opposition, such as boycotting English goods. Nonviolent protests were very frequently utilized in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's. Peaceful opposition was a prevalent advocate from Martin Luther King Jr., such as the three marches from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, a protest against the

These acts of nonviolent protest were different than outright rejection of law, as they accepted the consequences for their actions. The distaste and rejection of the policies and institutions of the time were not resisted through violence or destruction, but rather through a statement of position in opposition. Muhammad Ali was sentenced to 5 years in prison (later rescinded), and accepted without complaint. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed 29 times in his fight for civil rights in our country. Rosa Parks was nonviolent and did not resist arrest. The actions of these individuals managed to make their statements without causing harm to others. Nonviolent protests are lasting through today. It can be seen in the modern Black Lives Matter movement, a campaign participated in by members of all ethnicities in protest of institutional racism. January 2017's Women's March was participated in across the globe, with an estimated 1,000,000 marchers of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. The issues we care about and have the right to reject unite us with cause and